NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain highlights NASA’s climate work during a media roundtable, Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain gives remarks during an event featuring Expedition 72 NASA astronauts Butch WIlmore, Nick Hague, and Suni Williams, and Axiom Mission 4 astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, at residence of the Ambassador of India in Washington. Williams, Hague and Wilmore served as part of Expedition 72 onboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain gives remarks during an event featuring Expedition 72 NASA astronauts Butch WIlmore, Nick Hague, and Suni Williams, and Axiom Mission 4 astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, at residence of the Ambassador of India in Washington. Williams, Hague and Wilmore served as part of Expedition 72 onboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain delivers remarks during a gathering of NASA Space Apps Challenge Global Winners and Local Leads from around the world Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks to students before they view exhibits and participate in hands-on activities as NASA celebrates Earth Day, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, left, speaks with NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya during NASA’s Day on the Hill, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate speaks with an attendee as he views exhibits during NASA’s Day on the Hill, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain delivers remarks during a gathering of NASA Space Apps Challenge Global Winners and Local Leads from around the world Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks to students before they view exhibits and participate in hands-on activities as NASA celebrates Earth Day, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain delivers remarks during a gathering of NASA Space Apps Challenge Global Winners and Local Leads from around the world Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)
Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Sciences Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks during a briefing, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Germain, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Sciences Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks during a briefing, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Germain, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Tom Wagner, right, speaks during a briefing in advance of Earth Day to share updates on NASA’s climate science alongside Faith McKie, acting NASA Press Secretary, left, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, second from left, and Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, second from right, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Nelson, St. Germain, and Wagner discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, Director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, gives and interview following the ribbon cutting ceremony to open NASA’s Earth Information Center, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Earth Information Center is new immersive experience that combines live data sets with cutting-edge data visualization and storytelling to allow visitors to see how our planet is changing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, center, speaks with Nicola Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, left, and NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya during NASA’s Day on the Hill, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, Director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, before the ribbon cutting ceremony to open NASA’s Earth Information Center, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Earth Information Center is new immersive experience that combines live data sets with cutting-edge data visualization and storytelling to allow visitors to see how our planet is changing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain and NASA Earth Science Division Associate Administrator Nicola Fox pose for a selfie with guests during a gathering of NASA Space Apps Challenge Global Winners and Local Leads from around the world Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)
NASA Earth Science Director Karen St. Germain delivers remarks during an event launching a new Disaster Response Coordination System that will provide communities and organizations around the world with access to science and data to aid disaster response, Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Karen St. Germain, Director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, before the ribbon cutting ceremony to open NASA’s Earth Information Center, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Earth Information Center is new immersive experience that combines live data sets with cutting-edge data visualization and storytelling to allow visitors to see how our planet is changing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, answers a question during a briefing on NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA’s TEMPO instrument, the first Earth Venture Instrument mission, will measure air pollution across North America from Mexico City to the Canadian oil sands and from the Atlantic to the Pacific hourly and at a high spatial resolution. A partnership between NASA and the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, TEMPO will launch on a commercial satellite to geostationary orbit as early as April. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks during a briefing on NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA’s TEMPO instrument, the first Earth Venture Instrument mission, will measure air pollution across North America from Mexico City to the Canadian oil sands and from the Atlantic to the Pacific hourly and at a high spatial resolution. A partnership between NASA and the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, TEMPO will launch on a commercial satellite to geostationary orbit as early as April. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Earth Sciences, Division Director, Karen St. Germain, left, and Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Sant Director, Kirk Johnson, talk during a preview of the Earth Information Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. The exhibit includes a video wall displaying Earth science data visualizations and videos, an interpretive panel showing Earth’s connected systems, information on our changing world, and an overview of how NASA and the Smithsonian study our home planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks during a briefing on NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA’s TEMPO instrument, the first Earth Venture Instrument mission, will measure air pollution across North America from Mexico City to the Canadian oil sands and from the Atlantic to the Pacific hourly and at a high spatial resolution. A partnership between NASA and the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, TEMPO will launch on a commercial satellite to geostationary orbit as early as April. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks during a briefing on NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA’s TEMPO instrument, the first Earth Venture Instrument mission, will measure air pollution across North America from Mexico City to the Canadian oil sands and from the Atlantic to the Pacific hourly and at a high spatial resolution. A partnership between NASA and the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, TEMPO will launch on a commercial satellite to geostationary orbit as early as April. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks during a briefing on NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA’s TEMPO instrument, the first Earth Venture Instrument mission, will measure air pollution across North America from Mexico City to the Canadian oil sands and from the Atlantic to the Pacific hourly and at a high spatial resolution. A partnership between NASA and the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, TEMPO will launch on a commercial satellite to geostationary orbit as early as April. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Dr. Karen St. Germain, NASA director of the Earth Science Division, speaks with John Rhys-Davies, the actor best known for his roles as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise at the Earth Information Center (EIC), Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
NASA Earth Action Associate Director Tom Wagner, left, NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Adviser Kate Calvin, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Ocean Ecology Laboratory Chief Carlos Del Castillo, highlight NASA’s climate work during a media roundtable, Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Dr. Karen St. Germain, NASA director of the Earth Science Division, and John Rhys-Davies, the actor best known for his roles as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise, center left, visit the Earth Information Center (EIC), Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
Dr. Karen St. Germain, NASA director of the Earth Science Division, speaks with John Rhys-Davies, the actor best known for his roles as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise at the Earth Information Center (EIC), Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
Dr. Karen St. Germain, NASA director of the Earth Science Division, left, and John Rhys-Davies, the actor best known for his roles as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise, pose for a photo, Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
Dr. Karen St. Germain, NASA director of the Earth Science Division, speaks with John Rhys-Davies, the actor best known for his roles as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise at the Earth Information Center (EIC), Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
Dr. Karen St. Germain, NASA director of the Earth Science Division, speaks with John Rhys-Davies, the actor best known for his roles as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise at the Earth Information Center (EIC), Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain, left, talks with Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai of Mongolia, as they tour NASA’s Earth Information Center, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. The Earth Information Center is a new immersive experience that combines live data sets with cutting-edge data visualization to show NASA data can improve lives in the face of disasters, environmental challenges, and our changing world. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, second from left, speaks during a briefing in advance of Earth Day to share updates on NASA’s climate science alongside Faith McKie, acting NASA Press Secretary, left, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, second from right, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, right, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Nelson, St. Germain, and Wagner discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Earth Sciences, Division Director, Karen St. Germain, center, speaks with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, and Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Sant Director, Kirk Johnson, during a preview of the Earth Information Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. The exhibit includes a video wall displaying Earth science data visualizations and videos, an interpretive panel showing Earth’s connected systems, information on our changing world, and an overview of how NASA and the Smithsonian study our home planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks with the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) cohort, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. The Earth Science Division’s Early Career Research Program’s Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) is a year-long STEM engagement and experiential learning opportunity for educators and students from high school to graduate level. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks with the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) cohort, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. The Earth Science Division’s Early Career Research Program’s Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) is a year-long STEM engagement and experiential learning opportunity for educators and students from high school to graduate level. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Faith McKie, acting NASA Press Secretary, left, takes a selfie for the agency’s Global Selfie campaign with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, second from left, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, second from right, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, right, at the conclusion of a briefing in advance of Earth Day to share updates on NASA’s climate science, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Faith McKie, acting NASA Press Secretary, left, asks a question a briefing in advance of Earth Day to share updates on NASA’s climate science, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, second from left, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, second from right, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, right, discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain, far right, talks with Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai of Mongolia, as they along with NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy tour NASA’s Earth Information Center, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. The Earth Information Center is a new immersive experience that combines live data sets with cutting-edge data visualization to show NASA data can improve lives in the face of disasters, environmental challenges, and our changing world. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Earth Science Division Director Karen St. Germain, far right, talks with Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai of Mongolia, as they along with NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, left, tour NASA’s Earth Information Center, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. The Earth Information Center is a new immersive experience that combines live data sets with cutting-edge data visualization to show NASA data can improve lives in the face of disasters, environmental challenges, and our changing world. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Barry Lefer, tropospheric composition program manager in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, at podium, answers a question during a briefing on NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument along with Caroline Nowlan, atmospheric physicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, left, Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, second from left, Laura Judd, associate program manager for the Applied Sciences Health and Air Quality Applications in the Applied Sciences Program of NASA’s Earth Science Division, third from right, Erika Wright, education specialist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, second from right, and Karen Fox, NASA Public Affairs Officer, right, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA’s TEMPO instrument, the first Earth Venture Instrument mission, will measure air pollution across North America from Mexico City to the Canadian oil sands and from the Atlantic to the Pacific hourly and at a high spatial resolution. A partnership between NASA and the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, TEMPO will launch on a commercial satellite to geostationary orbit as early as April. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Earth Sciences, Division Director, Karen St. Germain, left, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Sant Director, Kirk Johnson, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Earth Sciences Division, Deputy Director, Julie Robinson, and NASA Senior Advisor Susie Perez Quinn, right, pose for a group photograph during a preview of the Earth Information Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. The exhibit includes a video wall displaying Earth science data visualizations and videos, an interpretive panel showing Earth’s connected systems, information on our changing world, and an overview of how NASA and the Smithsonian study our home planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Members of the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) cohort listen as Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate speaks, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. The Earth Science Division’s Early Career Research Program’s Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) is a year-long STEM engagement and experiential learning opportunity for educators and students from high school to graduate level. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Members of the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) cohort listen as Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate speaks, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. The Earth Science Division’s Early Career Research Program’s Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) is a year-long STEM engagement and experiential learning opportunity for educators and students from high school to graduate level. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Faith McKie, acting NASA Press Secretary, open a briefing in advance of Earth Day to share updates on NASA’s climate science, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks during a briefing, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Wagner, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Sciences Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks during a briefing in advance of Earth Day to share updates on NASA’s climate science, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Nelson, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks during a briefing in advance of Earth Day to share updates on NASA’s climate science, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Nelson, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, speaks during a briefing, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Wagner, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Sciences Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Faith McKie, acting NASA Press Secretary, left, asks a question a briefing in advance of Earth Day to share updates on NASA’s climate science, Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Karen St. Germain, division director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and Tom Wagner, associate director for Earth Action in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, discussed early data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and announced new airborne science missions. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, participates in a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.
Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, participates in a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.
Marina Jurica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, foreground, and Karen St. Germain, director of the agency’s Earth Science Division, participate in a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.
Marina Jurica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, left, and Karen St. Germain, director of the agency’s Earth Science Division, participate in a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.
NASA, SpaceX, and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) hold a prelaunch news conference for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission on Dec. 14, 2022, at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Participating from left are Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director, NASA; Thierry Lafon, SWOT project manager, CNES; Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program; Julianna Scheiman, civil satellite missions director, SpaceX; Parag Vaze, SWOT project manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Capt. Max Rush, launch weather officer, U.S. Air Force. SWOT is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg on Dec. 15, 2022, at 3:46 a.m. PST. SWOT will be NASA’s first global survey of nearly all water on Earth’s surface. Scientists plan to use its observations to better understand the global water cycle, furnish insight into the ocean’s role in how climate change unfolds, and provide a global inventory of water resources. The SWOT mission is a collaborative effort between NASA and CNES with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency and the UK Space Agency. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.
Marie Lewis, NASA Communications, moderates a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Landsat 9 mission at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Participants include Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate; Karen St. Germain, director, NASA’s Earth Science Division; Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science, U.S. Department of the Interior; Michael Egan, Landsat program executive, NASA’s Earth Science Division; Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program; Scott Messer, United Launch Alliance program manager, NASA Launch Services Program; and Capt. Addison Nichols, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 30. Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch at 2:12 p.m. EDT (11:12 a.m. PDT) on Monday, Sept. 27, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landsat 9 will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit in collecting images from across the planet every eight days. This calibrated data will continue the Landsat program’s critical role in monitoring the health of Earth and helping people manage essential resources, including crops, irrigation water, and forests.
A PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and social media panel discussion takes place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. Participants, from left to right are: Megan Cruz, NASA Communications; Karen St. Germain, Earth Science division director, NASA Headquarters; Marjorie Haskell, PACE program executive, NASA Headquarters; Laura Lorenzoni, PACE program scientist, NASA Headquarters; Juli Lander, PACE deputy project manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; and Ivona Cetinic, PACE Ocean scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton, as well new data on clouds and aerosols. Liftoff aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida is set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2024.
A PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and science briefing takes place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. Participants, from left to right are: Katherine Rohloff, NASA Communications; Kate Calvin, Chief Scientist, and Senior Climate advisor, NASA Headquarters; Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director, NASA Headquarters; Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Andy Sayer, PACE Atmospheric Scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; and Natasha Sadoff, Satellite Needs Program Manager, NASA Headquarters. PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton, as well new data on clouds and aerosols. Liftoff aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida is set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2024.
A PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and prelaunch news conference takes place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Participants, from left to right are: Derrol Nail, NASA Communications; Jim Free, NASA associate administrator; Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director, NASA Headquarters; Tim Dunn, senior launch director, Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy; Julianna Scheiman, director Civil Satellite Missions, SpaceX; and Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force. PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton, as well new data on clouds and aerosols. Liftoff aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida is set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2024.
Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director, NASA, participates in a prelaunch news conference held by NASA, SpaceX, and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission on Dec. 14, 2022, at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SWOT is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg on Dec. 15, 2022, at 3:46 a.m. PST. SWOT will be NASA’s first global survey of nearly all water on Earth’s surface. Scientists plan to use its observations to better understand the global water cycle, furnish insight into the ocean’s role in how climate change unfolds, and provide a global inventory of water resources. The SWOT mission is a collaborative effort between NASA and CNES with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency and the UK Space Agency. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.
Officials from NASA, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and the Embassy of India hold a send-off ceremony for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) science instrument payload on Feb. 3, 2023, outside a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The payload is scheduled to be shipped to India in March. Pictured left to right: Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division, NASA; Mitra Dutta, NISAR program executive, NASA; Sripriya Ranganathan, ambassador and deputy chief of mission, Indian Embassy; Larry James, deputy director, JPL; Bhavya Lal, associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy, NASA; Jim Graf, director, Earth Science and Technology Directorate, JPL; S. Somanath, chairman, ISRO; Laurie Leshin, director, JPL; Krunal Joshi, counselor, space and ISRO technical liaison officer, Indian Embassy; M. Sankaran, director, U R Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO; Shantanu Bhatawdekar, scientific secretary, ISRO; Paul Rosen, NISAR project scientist, JPL; CV Shrikant, NISAR project director, ISRO; Phil Barela, NISAR project manager, JPL; and Gerald Bawden, NISAR program scientist, NASA. NISAR – a joint effort between NASA and ISRO – will measure changes to Earth's land ice surfaces down to fractions of an inch. Data collected by this satellite will help researchers monitor a wide range of changes critical to life on Earth in unprecedented detail. This includes spotting warning signs of imminent volcanic eruptions, helping to monitor groundwater supplies, tracking the melt rate of ice sheets tied to sea level rise, and observing shifts in the distribution of vegetation around the world. The data will inform humanity's responses to urgent challenges posed by natural disasters and climate change, and help communities prepare for and manage hazards. There are two instruments on the satellite that will send and receive radar signals to and from Earth's surface to make the mission's measurements. An L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), which uses a signal wavelength of around 9 inches (24 centimeters), and an S-band SAR with a signal wavelength of nearly 5 inches (12 centimeters). Both will bounce their microwave signal off of the planet's surface and record how long it takes the signal to make one roundtrip, as well as the strength of that return signal. This enables the researchers to calculate the distance from the spacecraft to Earth's surface and thereby determine how the land or ice is changing. An antenna reflector nearly 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter, supported by a deployable boom, will focus the microwave signals sent and received by the SARs. JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, leads the U.S. component of NISAR and is providing the mission's L-band SAR instrument. NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem. ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band SAR, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25600
Marina Jurica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena moderates a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.
Marina Jurica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena moderates a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.
Marina Jurica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena moderates a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.